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“Don’t be silly, Cole; I’m fine, honey. Besides, the launch is on the way. Finish this one last obligation,” she said shaking her head. “The venue isn’t far, ten blocks over I think, and we only need to stay an hour or so, right?” she asked glancing at her watch. “Two half-hour sets you said?”
Grace continued to use her persuasive ways and eventually convinced me to attend the launch party for a new band recently signed to our label. I knew if I had pressed any further my wife would only have dug her heels in harder. Figuring it was better to get my appearance over with than cause her more stress by arguing, I decided to make good on the promise I’d made to attend.
Scanning the dimly lit, grungy looking space, relief washed over me when I caught sight of my wife still sitting in the booth where I’d left her. She was rocking a fabulous figure-hugging dress she’d squeezed herself into despite her bump. Its brilliant white color immediately set her apart from everyone else in the room. With or without the dress, Grace would have stood out anyway.
Men never looked twice at my wife; it only took them one glance, and they became transfixed by the way she was put together. Usually she would have been on my arm, but in her condition, I was concerned about how the events of the day had affected her. Also, with the heavy vibrations from the drum and bass players in the band, I had parked her ass as far away from the stage as I could.
I had seated Grace in the large sectional booth on the far side of the dance floor where I knew she’d be safe from the crowd, and when I glanced over and saw her still there, I excused myself from my three bandmates and cut straight across the dance floor toward her.
The break in the music set was welcome, and I felt all tension leave my body when the heavy metal band took a fifteen-minute interlude.
The new signing, Stone Gorge, weren’t the best musicians I’d heard, but decent enough for us to wait it out for the first half of their gig. As this was an exclusive launch party the press was in attendance and the label had wanted our band to show some support for them.
In general terms, I didn’t mind obliging because giving back was important, but on this occasion my wife’s wellbeing took priority. After the long day we’d had I wanted to take her home.
As I neared Grace, she glanced up, and a smile tugged at her lips when her gorgeous eyes connected with mine. A smile also spread on my lips and widened affectionately as I approached.
My eyes narrowed suspiciously when I saw she was talking to a known skinny blonde groupie called Bekki. I’d seen her around with Scuds from time to time and fortunately, she wasn’t someone I’d dipped my wick in before.
Bekki was so busy running off at the mouth she hadn’t noticed I was behind her. My jaw ticked in frustration when I caught some of the comments she made and heard what the conversation was about.
“Oh my god, if I had a guy with a fine ass like his in my bed, I’d never leave it,” she confessed.
Having no idea who she was talking about, I decided to cut in on the gossip. “Oh, yeah? Who’s the lucky guy?” My voice was laced with sarcasm as I eyed Grace and bit back a grin.
Glancing over her shoulder, Bekki caught sight of me and gasped for breath, swallowed roughly and cringed.
Moving my position to see both her and Grace better, my eyes darted to Bekki. When she averted her gaze, I noted how uneasy she was. Turning my attention back to my wife I saw her wince. It was at this point the penny dropped. This wasn’t idle female chitchat between two women. Bekki was stating an opinion and from her reaction when I confronted her, I knew instinctively she had been talking about me.
Unperturbed by Bekki’s comment, Grace chuckled and shook her head, “Your timing is awful,” she admonished, glancing up at me, but the twinkle in her eyes told me she was flattered by the groupie’s envious remark. Bekki’s crimson face and zero eye contact on the other hand, was a rare reaction from someone normally so brazen.
“Ah, I wasn’t supposed to hear that, was I?” I asked, letting the lecherous groupie know I knew her comment was directed toward Grace about me. “But now that I have, I couldn’t agree with you more,” I replied sliding my hand around my wife’s shoulder.
Crouching down beside her, I pressed my lips gently to hers, in no hurry to pull them away, but I did. “Great advice. Grace you should listen to Bekki,” I affirmed, playfully, making a joke from Bekki’s comment.
Relief washed through the groupie’s worried eyes and she rolled them like she was more pissed with herself than me. It served her right, she shouldn’t have been drooling like that about another woman’s husband.
“You’re incorrigible,” Grace scolded me again, but I heard the hint of humor in her tone and knew she was enjoying both Bekki’s discomfort and my unwillingness to let the subject slide.
Standing straight, I glared down as Bekki continued to look away. It struck me then that Bekki was losing her looks, but that didn’t surprise me with the rock and roll lifestyle she led. The girl had been burning the candle at both ends and it showed.
“If you’ll excuse us, I came to ask my beautiful wife to dance,” I explained, and held my hand out theatrically for Grace. Slipping hers into mine, I helped her to her feet and led her onto the dance floor.
“That was so naughty, Cole.” Grace chuckled. “And why are we on the dance floor when there’s no music?” she asked.
“Who needs music when I have an angel in my arms? Are those harps I hear?” Grace looked at the ceiling dismissing my corny line. Pulling her snug little body close to mine with our hands held close to my heart, I pressed my cheek to hers.
“I can’t dance without music,” she insisted through a giggle.
Unperturbed, I thought for a moment. “You like Halestorm, right? Here’s to Us?” She nodded but looked confused, then she shook her head in silent protest. “There you go. We’ll dance to that. Forget these deadbeats, we’ll have our own silent disco. How does that sound?”
“You are way too corny and romantic to be a rock star,” she stated, with a look that told me she adored me.
“Yep, but don’t tell them that,” I whispered conspiratorially and winked. “Actually, it’s because I’m a rock star that I can choose to dance with my girl in a room full of people without music, and none of them will bat an eyelid.”
The smile Grace gave me was almost contemptuous, as if she didn’t believe me. Narrowing her eyes, she glanced around the room scrutinizing everyone in turn and when she was done I felt her body relax when she realized my assumption was probably right.
Giving them the once-over myself, I saw most of them were stoned, and I knew unless someone was taking off their clothes, making an ass of themselves buck naked, or competing in a wet T-shirt competition, no one cared.
